


virus

by ottermo



Series: As Prompted [68]
Category: Humans (TV)
Genre: Cliffhanger, Collab Week, F/F
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-04-11
Updated: 2018-04-11
Packaged: 2019-04-21 18:01:37
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 495
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14290326
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ottermo/pseuds/ottermo
Summary: Something’s wrong with Niska.Intentionally unfinished, for the ‘Cliffhanger’ prompt during Collab Week!





	virus

**Author's Note:**

> Written for Week 4, Day 4 of the Humans 4-Week Challenge. The prompt was to write a fic that ended on a cliffhanger so that someone else could continue it. As far as I remember, nobody picked this one up, so I guess the invitation’s still open :P

It happened again on the train, and this time Astrid couldn’t ignore it, couldn’t accept Niska’s assurances that it was _nothing, really, just a glitch, nothing to worry about._ Niska’s eyes flashed from green to grey and back again, and her head jerked sideways repeatedly, no matter how many times she recentered it.

“It’s _not_ nothing,” Astrid insisted afterwards, as they stepped off the carriage and headed for the exit. “Something’s obviously wrong. I don’t know enough about coding, but maybe we could look up—”

“It’s just a virus,” Niska said shortly, walking very deliberately in step with Astrid as they made their way along the tunnel, as if to prove she was in control of herself now. “I’ll be able to clear it when we get in. I just need a computer a-a-a-and…”

The word fragmented, skipping over pieces of itself like a faulty CD. Astrid stopped short, but Niska kept waking, ignoring Astrid’s pull on her arm and powering through until the glitch had passed.

“And a gateway cable,” she finished, eventually. She threw a sideways glance at Astrid as she caught her up. “Honestly, if I reacted like you’re doing now, every time you got a cough…”

“It’s not the same,” Astrid protested.

“It’s exactly the same!”

“How do you know it’s not serious? Something could be…corrupting your root code. It could be a small symptom of something much larger…”

“Yes, and the next time you cough, it could be the first sign of lung cancer, but that’s far less likely, so we don’t go straight to panic mode.” Niska was smiling slightly now. “It’s just a little virus. It’ll take me five minutes to delete it.”

“Just… stop being so sensible, and let me be a bit worried,” Astrid said, giving a small smile back. “I only want to look after you.”

They left the station without further incident, and continued walking for some minutes in the direction of their flat, taking in the familiar sights and sounds that made up their journey home. Astrid let go of some of her tension, just enjoying their walk, hand in hand.

Then, about a hundred metres away from their building, another glitch hit Niska. Her eyes flashed, and her head twitched, and Astrid kept her upright, resolutely Not Panicking for as long as she could bear. But it went on too long, this time. Her heart quickened wildly as Niska’s head lolled suddenly sideways, now twitching against her shoulder. A drop of blue synth fluid welled on her top lip, as though her nose was bleeding. Not Panicking was no longer an option. Astrid pulled one of Niska’s arms around her own shoulder and took most of her weight, all but dragging her girlfriend towards the building. As long as Astrid could get her home, that was what mattered, surely Niska could sort it all out then, once she surfaced…

Astrid gritted her teeth, and refused to think of any other possibility.

 


End file.
